Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-21
CATCHING 4 BIG SHARK.
A COO-P0und Nnn-Eatcr Runs Entn "A
Net and Is Pulled in as Point

baltimore Herald

On Sunday morning Captain Samuel
Williams, accompanied 10y three other
veteran fishermen, laid ont their nets
in ColgGte's creek, near Point Breeze,
the terminus Of the Highlandtown AMI
Point Breeze railroad. It was n
still morning and not ripple
stirred the water. The men
VGtcEod their corks patiently for
about an hour without the sight
est indication OF nibble, when all OF a
sudden they observed that the corks of
their seine were bobbing mp and down
in most violent aDd mysterious way.
They saw az once that they had cap
tured a big fish OF some kind and slowly
and with great difficulty they tOwed the
heayily-frcighted net to the beach at
Point Breeze and prepared to examine
its contents. After hauling it in hand
overland for about fifty yards they
were perfectly astounded. and at the
same time frightened nearly to death,
when they
SAW LAPGE SHARK
laundering around in the meshes of
the net, teaIing it TO pieces by the lash
ings of his head and fnkes. The
sturdy fishermen, although badly
frightened and for the while non
pnsscd, made a strong fight and
finally captured the shark His vio-
lent struggles were subdued, and
after much trouble his body was
pulled ont upon the bank. Upon be-
ing measured the shark was found to be-
eleven feet six inches long, and weighed
about eco pounds. 1t is Of the man
eating species, and its mouth is about
one foot across from side % side. When
the HCrGd reporter saw it yesterday
afternoon it was lying on The end OF the
pier at Point Breeze. Its hinge mouth
was popped open 10y stick to the ex-
tent OF about foot, displaying a
DOUBLE ROW or SHARP TEETH,
with almost a needle-point to each one
of them. The color of the monster
might he described as "peanuckle." or
almost match for the new police-hel-
NETS. The big man-eater was yester-
day viewed by large number Of per
sons, who went down IN wagons for
that purpose. The body, however, is
rapidly decaying, and will be thrown
into the river in day or two and towed
away to some place where it will not
be a nuisance.
SHARKS N THE HARBOR.
Large numbers OF sharks are now in
Testing the waters of the Chesapeake |
bay and its tributaries, and it is said
they are feeding and growing fat on
soft crabs, which they gobble up by the
bushel. An old fisherman said yester-
day that he thought this was trenching
too much upon our rights.
1--WE don't mind having our oysters
stolen and taken to northern waters"
he continued, "but when q marauder
with mouth like that comes up here and |
steals our crabs We kick, every one of us.
Tn glad we got him so quick. There /
are very few sharks, as a rule, in this |
river, but several have been seen down
there at the mouth of the branch in |
the last few days, and fancy they |
have come in after one Of the |
German steamers. Sharks some
times follow ship from Euro
pean waters and go sneaking up some
back creek in the neighborhood where
the yersol stops. They are not par
ticular. They are ocean tramps. A
Dutchman or greasy Norwegian Just
tastes as good to shark as a full
blooded American citizen. A fellow
like that would get away with you in
no time"